Pulpo
Octopus. Boiled tender and dressed with paprika and olive oil in the Galician tradition (pulpo a feira), or grilled on a hot plancha in the Catalan and Andalusian style.
Pulpo is a staple of coastal Spanish cooking, most strongly identified with Galicia. The Galician version, pulpo a feira (also called pulpo a la gallega), takes the whole octopus, simmers it in a copper pot until tender, then slices the tentacles into coins and dresses them with sweet paprika, sea salt and a generous pour of olive oil. It's traditionally served on a wooden plate with toothpicks for cocktail sticks, and often appears at fairs and pilgrimages (hence 'a feira,' 'at the fair'). The Catalan and Andalusian versions usually grill the tentacles a la plancha or over coals and serve them with allioli, romesco or a smoky paprika dressing.
How it's served
Galician pulpo a feira: tentacles sliced into coins on a wooden plate, dusted with paprika and sea salt, drenched in olive oil, eaten standing with toothpicks. Catalan/Andalusian grilled: charred tentacles plated with allioli or romesco, eaten with a knife and fork as a starter.
Regional variation
Galicia's pulpo a feira is the canonical Spanish octopus dish; the pulperías (octopus-specialist taverns) in towns like O Carballiño hold annual festivals. Andalusian and Catalan kitchens prefer to grill the octopus over coals or on a plancha. The Japanese-style sliced raw version (pulpo carpaccio) appears in modern Catalan tasting menus.
- Origin
- Atlantic and Mediterranean Spain (Galician tradition)
- Etymology
- From the Spanish/Catalan pulpo, in turn from Latin polypus and Greek polypous ('many-footed').
- Also called
- pulpo a la gallega, pulpo a feira
Where to try it in Barcelona
12 restaurants on Guidavera mention pulpo in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
What is pulpo a la gallega?
Galician boiled octopus: the whole animal simmered until tender, sliced into coins, dressed with sweet paprika, sea salt and olive oil, and served on a wooden plate with toothpicks. Also called pulpo a feira ('octopus at the fair'). One of the most identifiable Spanish dishes.
How do you make octopus tender?
Galician technique: simmer the whole octopus in a copper pot for 40-60 minutes, sometimes after a quick blanch in boiling water three times (the 'asustar' or 'scaring' method, which is said to keep the skin intact). Some cooks freeze the octopus first; freezing breaks down the muscle fibres. Both methods produce tender flesh.
Why is octopus served on wooden plates in Galicia?
Tradition. Galician pulperías have served the dish on circular wooden plates for at least a century. The wood absorbs some of the oil and keeps the tentacle slices warmer than ceramic. It's also part of the visual identity of the dish; many octopus-specialist restaurants use the wooden plate as a logo.
Related terms
- A la planchaCooked on a flat-top metal griddle. Fast, hot, no oil pooling. Standard for prawns, fish fillets and squid.
- A la brasaCooked directly over wood embers or charcoal. The default high-end grill method in Catalonia and the Basque Country.
- AllioliPungent Catalan emulsion of garlic and olive oil. Traditionally no egg. Eaten with grilled meats, paella and fish.
- AlbariñoCrisp, mineral, faintly salty Galician white wine made from the Albariño grape. The default Spanish pairing for seafood.
- Rías BaixasGalician DO for crisp Albariño-led white wines. The cool Atlantic-facing 'Lower Rías' on Spain's northwest coast.